After All This Time
by shawn-n-belle
Summary: It is a year after Pan's curse and oddly no one can remember anything that happened. Snow is pregnant. Charming is acting weird. Hook's gone. And Regina's, well, confused. Because not only has The Savior returned with all of her memories, but she's also returned with a magical three month old that looks like someone Regina once knew. Yet, nothing is ever quite what it seems. AU
1. Chapter 1: Going Home

**Summary:** It is a year after Pan's curse and oddly no one can remember anything that happened. Snow is pregnant. Charming is acting weird. Hook's gone. And Regina's, well, confused. Because not only has The Savior returned with all of her memories, but she's also returned with a magical three month old that looks like someone Regina once knew. Yet, nothing is ever quite what it seems. |AU|

**Warnings:** AU Season 3.

**Pairings:** Regina/Emma. Snow/Charming.

**Author's Note:** This is my first time really dabbling in this fandom and it is my first time really dealing with something like this as a concept so I would absolutely love some feedback on this! Please let me know what you guys think!

* * *

><p><em><strong>One<strong>_

"_It's not our price, it's mine. It is what I felt when I first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most." _When the words fall from Regina's tightened lips, Emma thinks that she must have misheard the dark haired beauty. This whole situation has gotten so out of hand, so very quickly. Hell, her entire life has suddenly been that way, hasn't it? One second, she is sitting in her empty apartment, making a wish on her cupcake that she would not have to spend another birthday alone. Little did she know _that wish_ would send her spiraling into a world of fairy tales, spiraling into a world of heartbreak with just an equal amount of despair and anguish hanging in the air. It sent her spiraling into finding out who her _true _parents are, into finding the son she gave up for adoption years ago and into finding _her_.

Regina Mills is a complex creature when mentioned in terms of Emma Swan's life. Not only is she the Mayor of this little quaint town that everyone calls home, but she is also the mother of her son. She is the one who took Henry in and saved him from the world of social work; she is the one who has clothed and fed her son for several years now and loved him to the best of her ability. She gave Henry something that Emma had never had, a better chance at life.

And for a very long time that is all that Regina was- just the adoptive mother of her son. Then, she became the Evil Queen. She became the reason that she spent her entire life in foster care, being sent from one home to the next because she was never 'good enough'. She became the reason that she never actually got to grow up with the parents that loved her and wanted her more than anything. She became the reason that Emma has done nothing but _struggled_ and _failed_ her entire life. And by God, she **hated** her for it with so much passion and rage that it nearly destroyed her.

Yet, somehow, in the mess of all of this, Regina simply became Regina. She may have been the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest, but in Storybrooke, Maine, at least as far as Emma is concerned, she is simply Regina. She is the woman who is afraid of falling in love because everyone she loves always leaves her. She is the woman who has the quickest wit of anyone that Emma has ever met in her life, only to have that wit balanced with incredibly good looks and a very intelligent brain. Regina became the person who saved her and saved her son without Emma ever truly knowing about. She became the dark to Emma's light and it slowly, but ever so surely, consumed her. Regina became the purpose that the sheriff had been looking for; Henry had brought her Storybrooke to return the happy ever afters and she knew that she could not stop until Regina got hers. After all, she may have been the person who deserved it the most.

And now? Now Regina is the hero; she is the woman who is making the ultimate sacrifice, even though it is going to kill her to do so. Emma can tell just how much this whole situation pains her by the reflection within her dark brown eyes.

"Henry?" Emma whispers, glancing back at their freckled, but worried son with frantic eyes. Regina's gaze follows her counterpart's to stare at her son who is nestled in the protected embrace of his father, tears burning within his own eyes. Sucking in a gentle gasp, Emma takes a step towards the Mayor, eyes searching for some type of answer that would not be found in a string of pretty words that would not even remotely make sense when said aloud. Regina bites her bottom lip, rocking on her heels softly as she looks up at the sky, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.

"I can never see him again. Or you," Regina states coldly and Emma's heart plummets to the bottom of her stomach at the statement. Now, Emma does not quite know how it feels to have her heart ripped out of her chest, after all, she is not Daniel, but she is sure that it must feel something like this. It must feel like someone has reached inside of her and ripped out all of her essential organs and simply thrown them aside and told her that life certainly is not worth living.

And perhaps it would not be without Storybrooke.

Without Regina.

"Regina, no." It's a whispered scolding from someone in the crowd behind them- it's Snow, Emma thinks. Because it is always Snow; always trying to protect the daughter that she threw into the wardrobe to never return. Rolling her eyes in bitterness, Emma recollects herself, reminding herself that now was neither the time, nor the place, to open up that _specific_ can of worms.

"I have no choice. I have to undo what I have started," Regina states ever so simply as if it had been ridiculous that no one had ever truly thought of this plan before. Shaking her head in disbelief, Emma takes another long step towards the dark haired woman but when the Mayor arches her eyebrow in just the _right_ way, Emma stops in her tracks.

"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?" Yep, definitely Snow, Emma groans.

"The curse that _created_ Storybrooke. It doesn't belong here and neither do any of us," Regina's voice cracks and it is the first time that Emma sees the tears that are streaming down her cheeks. It is _killing_ her in the most painful of ways.

But she's wrong, Emma sighs, looking at her through her own tear filled eyes. Could she not see that? Yes, they may be fictional fairy tale characters and in theory, they should not belong outside of their realm. But in practice? In practice they all _belong_ here, especially Regina. She belongs with Henry. Just like Snow and Charming belong with Emma. Just like Rumple belongs with Neal. Everyone had a place here in Storybrooke. It is _home_.

"Breaking the curse destroys the town," Charming states, reaffirming what Regina could not quite find the strength within herself to say. Nodding through her tears, the dark haired woman runs her fingers through her tangled mess, watching as the curse slowly begins to engulf their small town, destroying everything within its path.

"It will wink out of existence as though it was never here. And everyone would go back to where they are from, with no chance of ever returning," Regina states, looking at the crowd of people who surround her.

"So, we all return to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asks, hopeful. After all, returning to the Enchanted Forest would not necessarily be such a _bad_ thing. She is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, if that did not mean that she got some kind of advancement in social class, nothing else would. Also, in the Enchanted Forest, Regina is the Evil Queen with an empire that is all her own; that could not necessarily be so bad either. It sounds a hell of a lot better than walking around with a criminal record and everyone judging her for being a foster kid and for having a baby in prison.

"No. All of _us_. Except Henry. He will stay here because he was born here," Regina voices, her eyes landing on their son. Jumping into action, Emma's hands quickly grasp at the curvature of their son's shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze as she looks at the woman before her, panic and worry sitting deep within her chest.

"Alone?!"

"No. You will go with him. You will take him because you are the Savior. You were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it." Regina mumbles softly, the tears in her eyes as a weak smile curls upon her lips. Emma Swan had somehow, someway, always been escaping the dark side of magic since the day that she had been born. First, the Regina's curse and now, now she is going to escape Pan's curse and everything else that occurs afterward. Like her mother, she had been the bane of Regina's existence; yet, in her own _different_ way, she had been everything she had ever wanted.

"I don't want to. We will both go back with everyone." Emma states, squeezing Henry's shoulder as the brunette boy nods feverishly in agreement with his other mother. Regina, however, shakes her head with a weak chuckle, looking at the two people that she perhaps loved most in the world.

"That's not an option. I can't be with him, or with you. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work." Regina replies, squinting her eyes to appear slightly threatening. But if fear is what she had been meaning to instill within Emma Swan, she certainly failed the test. Because if Emma is feeling anything, it is the swirling rage that is deep within her stomach. How could she be doing this? How could she be taking _everything_ that she had searched her entire life for away from her like this?

"Regina, I'm not doing this. You're crazy. I'm the Savior. There has to be another way to stop this curse. I'm not leaving everything that I ever wished for and dreamed about. That includes you," Emma retorts, locking her jaw tightly as her nostrils flare just slightly, "Storybrooke is home. _Henry_ is home. My parents are home. You… you are _home_." Shaking her head as she pinches the bridge of her nose, Regina takes in a deep breath and Emma knows that she is trying to keep herself from crying.

"I've known you for some time now. And all I ever wanted was for you to get the hell out of my life so that I could be with my son," Regina's voice cracks as she looks between Henry and his blonde haired mother, "but really what I want is for Henry to be happy. And for you...for you to be happy, Miss Swan. We don't have a choice. You _have_ to go_._" And it is in that moment that Emma realizes that she is not _telling_ her, but rather she is _begging_ her to go in order to protect her, to protect Henry.

"This is not fair. This is all my fault. If I had never gone to get Emma, if I had just lived under the curse with you, none of this would have ever happened. I thought I was alone. I thought you didn't love me. But I was wrong." Henry steps up, his shoulders square and his chest puffed out, trying so desperately to be the man that she perceives himself as. If this had been any other situation, Emma is sure that she would have been more than proud of him for owning up to the fact that he made a mistake; but there is just something about it _now_ that is ridiculously bittersweet. Sighing softly, Regina leans down to meet her son's dark eyes and for a moment, she can see her reflection staring back at her. If it was biologically possible, she would swear that Henry Mills is her own son, just based on the fact that he looks _just_ like her.

"Henry… I was wrong too," At this, Regina looks up at Emma with a heavy sigh, "I cast a curse out of vengeance and I'm… I'm a villain. You heard Mr. Gold, villains don't get happy ever afters." She whispers the last part ever so softly but it is just loud enough that Henry can hear it. He shakes his head with a twinkle in his eye and a very Emma Swan like smirk upon his face.

"You're not a villain. You're my _**mom**_." Henry states with a wink, flashing his bright smile at her and in that moment, Regina swears that her heart bursts with joy. Her whole life she had feared that her son would hate her when he found out the truth about her. After all, finding out that your mother is an Evil Queen is probably something that would emotionally scar any child, especially when he found out that he was the product of the Charmings. So, hearing this now, knowing that despite all of the curses, and all of the wrong that she has done, that Henry Mills still loves her with all that he is, allows the most fleeting reassurance to fill within Regina. This is the hardest thing that she will ever do, but looking into his eyes so full of unconditional love reminds her that this is the _right_ thing. Looking up from her son, Regina's eyes land on Emma who is breaking away from her parents embrace. They share a gaze, one that would say more than words could ever truly express.

"Emma...there's something I haven't told you," Regina calls out once Emma approaches the line that separates Storybrooke from the rest of the world. Turning on her heels, emerald eyes are staring into the darkest shade of brown and for a brief moment, Regina forgets how to speak. Swallowing hard as she glances over her shoulder, she steadies her trembling hands and allows the truth to come from her pursed lips, "when the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind here. Including your memories. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It will have _never_ existed. These last years will be gone from both of your memories and everything… _everything_ is going to go back to being just _stories._" Biting her bottom lip, Emma nods, staring down at her shoes as she tries to contain the tears from spilling from her eyes.

"That does not sound like much of a happy ending," She mutters sarcastically and Regina laughs softly with a shrug of shoulders. Licking her lips softly, she smiles at the savior and it is the first time in a while that Emma can feel the genuineness behind it.

"Oh, it is not. But I can give you one. I will do for you what I did for everyone else in this town and give you new memories. My gift for you is good memories and a good life for you. A good life for Henry. You will never have given him up. You will have always been together," Regina pauses as her voice breaks, and it is in that moment that Emma realizes that the dark haired woman will cease to exist to the both of them, "when I stop Pan's curse and you step over the town line, you will have the life that you always wanted. The life that I took from you."

"But it won't be real." Emma states and Regina nods quietly, looking down at Henry before she continues.

"No, your past won't be. But your future will," She whispers, the tears burning within her eyes as she lets out a strangled cry, pushing Henry toward his birth mother. It is perhaps the most selfless thing that Regina Mills has ever done in her entire life, and yet, it is perhaps the one thing that will kill her the quickest, "You have to go now. There isn't much time left." She demands, looking over her shoulder as the dark green curse engulfs everything around them.

Emma wants to say something, say _anything_ that could potentially make this situation better; something that will make all of this go away. When she opens her mouth to speak, however, she is met by Regina's hand against her back, pushing her over the townline. The bubble of protection quickly surrounds the town and Emma finds herself standing on the other side, staring in at the people that she has grown to love.

Hook.

Neal.

Snow and Charming.

_Regina_.

The wind quickens and the curse rapidly begins to fill the entire town before Emma's tear filled eyes. Glancing over her shoulder at Henry who is waiting for her at the car, she cannot stop the cries that are slowly escaping from within her.

"Go Emma!"

Gritting her teeth, Emma shakes her head as she bursts forward, her hand finding it's way onto the bubble, exactly where Regina is standing. Their eyes meet in the most intense gaze the world has ever seen and suddenly, everything begins to _slow_ around them, slow until it is only the two of them.

"I'm the Savior. I'm meant to bring back the happy endings. You deserve yours. I'm going to come back for you. It might take a week, it might take a year. But I _will_ come back for you. Do you hear me, Regina?" Emma yells over the rushing wind, her voice cracking as the tears stream down her cheeks, "I'm not going to give up on you. I'm not like everyone else. I _will_ come back and I will save you. You're not the Evil Queen anymore. You're Regina Mills. You're supposed to be here with me, with your son. I'm going to save you and you're going to live happily ever after. Just… don't give up one me!" She is crying and God, how she wishes that she could stop the heart wrenching sobs that are dancing from her lips. Regina shakes her head softly, the same tears mirroring within her own eyes as she gently places her hand on the other side of the dome, her fingers perfectly in place with Emma's.

"I'll wait for you, Swan."

"Regina, I lo-" But she is interrupted by the crushing thunder that echoes in the sky above them and Regina looks over her shoulder, watching as the clouds settle in over the people that are behind her. Biting her bottom lip as she cries, she shakes her head, staring back at the mother of her son.

"Go Emma! Get out of here! GO! Goddamn it, go!" Regina yells. It takes Emma a second, or maybe a minute, to register exactly what it is happening but when she does, her feet are carrying her to the car as quickly as possible. She does not remember starting the car, or actually driving away until she looks into her rearview mirror as she watches the clouds consume Regina. Choking out a sob, Emma begins shaking violently, her stomach churning and tightening, the sweat dripping down her face.

"Mom? Mom, are you okay?" It's Henry, but he sounds like he is miles away now. Pulling over on the shoulder abruptly, Emma throws open the driver's door and makes it only two steps away from the bug before she empties her stomach. There is a twinge inside of her- something that almost feels like a _flutter_ and she looks down at her stomach to find a weird glow occurring. Closing her eyes tightly as another round of vomit sits in the back of her throat, Emma tries her hardest to keep her composure, at least for the kid. Swallowing hard, she reluctantly opens her eyes and when she does, everything is suddenly _normal_. The ache of her stomach, the fluttering, the weird glow, it is all suddenly disappeared. Biting her bottom lip, Emma looks over her shoulder to find the emptiness of what had once been Storybrooke.

It was all gone.

She's gone.

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asks again, suddenly appearing beside of his mother. Sighing softly, Emma paints a forced smile upon her face as she gently clasps her hand over her son's shoulder, giving him a quick kiss upon the forehead.

"Yeah, we're going to be okay, kid. I promise," Emma whispers, looking back at Storybrooke with pained eyes before she climbs back into the bug and drives away. Everything is going to be okay, she reminds herself as she looks over at Henry, after all, it always is.

* * *

><p><em><strong>One Year Later<strong>_

It is eerily quiet in Emma Swan's apartment tonight; something that is unusual, not only because she lives in the heart of New York City, but because normally her twelve year old son is causing some kind of commotion with his video games. Oh, and then there is Reagan, who makes her own contribution to the level of noises that normally fill this apartment. But tonight, everything is calm, quiet, _peaceful_.

Dancing around her kitchen as she makes one of Henry's favorite dishes, pasta, Emma has a tune stuck in the back of her throat. It is lightweight and happy, an emotion that has consumed her more often than not in this past year. Winking at her son who catches her gaze briefly before returning his attention back to his soccer video game, Emma cannot help but think about how truly blessed she is.

She has a great, steady job in the criminal justice field. She has a great apartment with reasonable rent, a feat that is nearly impossible to achieve in New York City. And she has great kids- that's right, _kids_. The thought still shakes Emma to the core and it still surprises her every morning that she is responsible for two lives. There are two tiny people that she grew inside of her running around the world; well, Henry is running, Reagan is only three months old and at best, maybe she could drool on top of the world.

Pouring the sauce in with the pasta, Emma turns to Reagan who is sitting in her lounger on the kitchen island, a toy duck within her grasp, jabbering about something that Emma only wishes that she could understand. She takes a moment to simply _look_ at the three month old and she finds herself in awe of her. She has the darkest hair that Emma has ever seen with the most beautiful shade of dark brown eyes that absolutely light up her life, and the cutest little button nose that sits just perfectly on her face. She is absolutely _stunning_ and looks nothing like her mother- Emma chuckles softly to herself. Maybe she gets it from her father- if only Emma could remember who that was.

"Whatcha doing, Munchkin?" Emma coos, tickling the bottom of Reagan's foot softly. The baby squirms with a grumpy glare, retracting her foot quickly as she clutches tighter to the duck within her baby fist. She gurgles something, before she places the duck in her slobbering mouth with somewhat of a giggle.

"Oh, you think hurting Mr. Duckie is funny, do you? My little villain," Emma smiles with a laugh all of her own. She stirs the pasta with a watchful eye before she picks the three month old from her lounger, cradling her softly in her arms. Emerald eyes stare down into a deep shade of brown and Reagan only blinks, staring up at her mother with the utmost curiosity.

"I am sorry that you will never know your father, kid. I'm sure he was a great guy. Or hell, maybe he wasn't. Maybe I did him a favor by never telling him about you. But, we don't need him, do we? No, no, we don't. You have me and your big brother over there and we're going to protect you and love you enough for like, five parents. I'd say we are doing a pretty good job, right, kid?" Emma asks and Reagan only stares up at her, blinking her long eyelashes before her chubby hand gently pats Emma on the chest.

"I promise you are never going to have to suffer like I did, okay? You're going to have the best life, _ever_. And you're never going to have to question how much you are loved because I am going to show you every single day. I love you, Rea. You might be a villain, but you're _my_ little villain. And as long as you don't kill Mommy in the middle of the night, I may even help you take over the world," Emma winks with a chuckle and Reagan only chews on her duck, her fingers curling deep within Emma's shirt; something that tugs on the blonde's heart strings. All her life, Emma always wondered where she belonged, she always searched for the place that made her _comfortable_, that gave her purpose; and perhaps it is right here with her two, _beautiful_ children.

"Mommy's always got you, Reagan," Emma whispers, her thumb gently tracing the swirl of dark hair around the crown of her head. She has the most beautiful shade of dark black hair that Emma has ever truly ever seen; and she cannot help but wonder where she gets it from. Softly, her thumb swirls around the jet black hair that curls just perfectly around her head, her eyes studying Reagan's.

Suddenly, she can feel herself being transported to a completely different world. It is as if she is watching an entire lifetime flash before her eyes. It is a land of forests, of fairy tales, of dances and dresses and the most perfect falling snow.

_**Miss Swan**_**.**

"Did you hear that?" Emma asks to Henry who wrinkles his brow, staring at his mother as if she had three heads.

_**Miss Swan**_**. **

"Hear what?" He asks and Emma shakes her head, staring down at her daughter, closing her eyes once more. She can see the shadows of people, hear the sounds of their laughter, the sounds of a beautiful life. There is an outlining of a beautiful woman and there is a bitter pain that fills within Emma's heart.

_**Miss Swan**_**.**

"That. Somebody is saying my name. Don't screw with me, kid," Emma states and Henry only shakes his head, his fingers making quick work of the controller that is within his hand. Reagan's fist tightens within Emma's shirt, pulling the fabric closer to her.

_**Miss Swan.**_

"I seriously don't hear anything, Mom. Maybe you should go to sleep," Henry replies with simplicity, as if it is only her exhaustion that is causing her to hallucinate. But she is not hallucinating, is she? Shaking her head softly, Emma just groans, readjusting her daughter in her arms, watching her face ever so carefully, but Reagan only stares back at her, the same blank expression upon her face, except for a half smile that attempts to curl upon her lips.

_**Miss Swan.**_

Just as Emma is about to say something else, however, there is a knock at her door. Looking at Henry who only shrugs before returning his attention back to the game, Emma lets out a sigh before approaching the door. Opening it quickly, she finds herself staring face to face with a man that is dressed in all leather and resembles very much that of a biker- or hell, maybe even a pirate.

"Ahh, Miss Swan. I've been looking everywhere for you. You know you are really…" His voice trails off, however, when he notices the infant that is nestled within her arms and his heart plummets in his chest. _Fuck_. "Shit, I guess you really were busy. Got yourself another little tyke, huh?" Hook gestures to the little girl who still stares at her mother, eyes full of curiosity.

"I'm sorry. Am I supposed to know you?" Emma asks. Hook rolls his eyes as he grabs the blonde, pulling her into a harsh kiss as his lips attack her own. Growling in disgust, Emma quickly pulls away, her fist finding his chest in a very hard _thump_, pushing him away from her and her daughter.

"Ah, it was worth a shot. Listen, I came here because I need your help. We need your help," Hook explains and Emma only shakes her head with a laugh.

"That is _not_ how you ask someone for help. I don't have time for this. If there is something that I can help you with, my business hours are posted all over this town. You can come to my office any time. Other than that, I suggest you get the hell out of my apartment and you stay the hell away from my children," Emma demands, clenching her jaw tightly as a new color of life flashes within her emerald eyes. _Ah, there is the savior_, Hook thinks to himself as he leans against the doorway. He glances at the baby in the blonde's arms, noticing the color of her hair and the color of her eyes.

It is the exact same color as… but it can't be.

Can it?

"What's the little one's name?" Hook intrigues, gently holding his hand out as he tickles her foot. This time, however, Reagan does not pull away like she had previously with her mother. This time, she simply just lays there and stares at Hook, her brow wrinkling just slightly, a look that is all too familiar to the pirate.

_Shit, maybe she really is, _Hook thinks.

"That's none of your business. Please leave before I have to call the cops." Emma growls, grabbing the door, trying to forcefully shut it but Hook's hand stops it just before it shuts. There is a pleading in his eyes, a desperation written upon his scruffy face; something that had never quite been there before in the beginning of their conversation.

"Emma, wait! Please! Your family is danger! They really need your help! You have to come. Quickly!" Hook pleads, desperation echoing in his voice to the point that he is sure that he must sound pathetic. Emma's mouth slightly opens as she contemplates what he has said to her before she holds her daughter a little bit tighter in her arms, glancing over her shoulder at Henry who is too invested in his video game to even realize that they have company.

"My family is right here and if you think this is your way of threatening them, you can go to hell." Emma exclaims, slamming the door in the stranger's face just as he was about to say something else. Sighing softly, she leans against the door, her eyes venturing from Reagan's sleepy face to the tattoo on her wrist. It is faded somewhat, but the subject is still there of a Chinese version of a lion. She is sure that it is supposed to mean something, but honestly, she cannot think of what at this moment in time.

There's a vibration in the air, more like a tickle really and it just dances within Emma's ears, just soft enough that she hears it. Cradling her daughter in her arms, she watches as Reagan's sleepy eyes open at the sound of the vibration and a soft smile appears on her lips at the sound of it.

_**Miss Swan**_.

Okay, Emma sighs, what in the _hell_ is going on?


	2. Chapter 2: New York Serenade

Summary: It is a year after Pan's curse and oddly no one can remember anything that happened. Snow is pregnant. Charming is acting weird. Hook's gone. And Regina's, well, confused. Because not only has The Savior returned with all of her memories, but she's also returned with a magical three month old that looks like someone Regina once knew. Yet, nothing is ever quite what it seems. |AU|

Warnings: AU Season 3.

Pairings: Regina/Emma. Snow/Charming.

**Author's Note: **The response for this story has been overwhelming and I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart, it really means so much to me. Especially considering I'm fairly new to this fandom. I love that everyone is falling in love with Reagan. Sadly, she's not really in this chapter but from here on out, that little tyke is going to be taking over. Just out of curiosity, has anyone figured out the significance of her name? And no, it has nothing to do with the president. Points to whoever can figure it out. Anyway, on with the show, I suppose. We get to see how Regina's holding up since Emma and Henry have left! Please, please, _please _leave your thoughts, feelings and opinions after reading this chapter. Because it both influences me to write this and it also could very much influence the way that this story turns out!

* * *

><p><strong>Two: New York Serenade<strong>

It has been a year; at least, that is the amount of time that has passed, Snow estimates. After all, when she last stepped foot in this small town, the leaves were turning the most beautiful shade of orange; now, however, they are preparing themselves for a dance of falling once more. She thinks it has been a year because things that _had_ been breaking news is this realm are no longer mentioned, however, more developing stories of war and other outrageous crimes of true evil of mankind are being spoke of. It has been a year- at least, she _thinks_, because, well, she honestly cannot remember any of it.

The last thing that she recalls is watching her daughter and her grandson drive away from her in that hideous yellow bug of hers. She makes a mental note to remind Charming to help her pick out a more appropriate car- after all, that is what fathers are supposed to do, right? But more importantly, she revisits that last scene. The scene of her daughter's blonde hair walking away from her, driving into the sunset for a happily ever after all of her own with her son by her side. She had just found her- only to have her taken away from her _again_ by a stupid curse.

And honestly, Snow is not sure which time hurt the most- the time she lost her helpless newborn with no hopes of ever seeing her again. Or now, when she watched her newly acquired daughter, full of so much sass and strength, drive away from her to never return and never remember a single thing about her. Both times she has left without a choice, but it never made the ache in her heart where she had once grew any easier.

Sighing as she stares at the townline, Snow places her hand on her now protruding baby bump. She gets a second chance to start anew with this one; she only wishes she knew _how_ this one came to be. While she knows the generic biological principle of how it happened, the past year of her life has been wiped from her memory. There is not even a reassurance that the baby is Charmings- she is sure that it is, but there is a chance that it might not be. Hell if Snow remembers.

Biting her bottom lip as the tears burn within her eyes, the short woman turns on her heels, watching with her peripheral vision as the town line gets further and further away. Somewhere, on the other side of that line, is her daughter; her beautiful baby girl who had been meant to save them all from evil, not just Regina. Sighing reluctantly, Snow opens the door to Granny's, finding a sea of familiar faces waiting for her inside. Rumple, Belle, Robin, Little Red, Granny, Charming and… she knows that perfect mess of dark hair anywhere. Swallowing her pride, Snow sends a smile in the direction of Charming who barely even notices her, before she approaches her stepmother.

"Care for some company?" Snow asks softly but Regina's eyes do not look up from the spot on the wall in which she had been staring. Her eyes are glossy, almost like death, and Snow recalls the last time that she saw her stepmother like this. It had been with Daniel's death; because when her father passed, she had not been nearly this upset. Her thumb traces the rim of the coffee mug that sits in front of her and Snow can smell the cinnamon that has been added to it.

Regina _hates_ cinnamon.

But Emma doesn't and this is _exactly_ how Emma takes her cocoa. Smiling at the realization, Snow's fingers gently trace shapes into her very round baby bump as she waits for Regin's cold eyes to meet hers, but they never do.

"I do not rule this kingdom. Therefore, I suppose you can sit anywhere that you wish. You get to do that with this whole concept of freedom, you know? Just because I am the Queen in the Enchanted Forest does not mean you have to ask permission every time that you need something, Mrs. _Charming_." Regina thickens the sarcasm of her last name; yet, not once, does the raven haired woman _blink_.

_Freak of nature_, Snow thinks, _or maybe, just maybe, she thinks that if she blinks it is all going to be taken away from her again. Yeah, maybe it is that one_." The princess bemuses to herself, tucking in her shirt as she carefully and very eloquently takes the seat across from the Evil Queen.

There is nothing Evil about her now, however.

And hell, from the way that she looks, there is nothing _alive_ about her either.

"You don't remember either, do you?" Snow asks so blatantly that Regina cannot help but snort, glaring at the young woman sitting before her. There is so much of Emma written within Snow's face; they have the same jaw structure, the same shaped eyes, and while Regina may never admit it, they most definitely have the most perfectly shaped lips. Sometimes it is strange for her, to sit alongside the woman that completely destroyed her life; sit beside of the woman that made her life so miserable in the first place. But she knew that she _had_ to, not just for Emma, but for Henry.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Pregnancy brain has you delusional, don't you think?" Regina chuckles, pursing her lips against the coffee mug before her. Slowly, she allows the hot liquid to scald down her throat but honestly, Regina is so numb from everything else that she could not feel the pain that should be radiating through her. Snow lets out a frustrating sigh, glancing around Granny's at the familiar faces of her friends before they land on her husband. There is something different about Charming now, as he leans against the counter, something that she could not quite pinpoint.

"The last thing I remember is watching Emma drive away in her car. I can't remember anything else. I can't remember the year of our lives in the Enchanted Forest. I can't remember returning to our castle or…..or..._this_!" Snow gestures to her baby bump, "next thing I am aware of, we are back in Storybrooke and for a moment, I think...maybe, just maybe, time has stood still, you know? Emma leaving stopped the clock again. But it didn't. None of us can remember anything, Regina, and the last time this happened, you had all of your memories. So, I guess I am asking you, did you do this to us?"

"If I was going to do this, Snow, don't you think I would have brought my son back to me? Don't you think I would have brought Emma back to her family? I cast curses to hurt other people, not myself. I would not wipe an entire year of my memory away. I _didn't_ do this. I am just as clueless as the rest of you." Regina huffs, taking another long drink of her cocoa. At the admission, Snow only nods her head, gently lacing her fingers around one another as she leans against the table. She takes a moment to study the face of the woman before her.

_Oh, Regina_, Snow sighs inwardly to herself. She would never admit it but there had always been a little piece of her in love with Regina; from the day that she first saved her life. That had been the reason that her father that married her, not because he loved her, but because _Snow did_. She would never tell the Mayor that she had been the first person to love her; just like she would never tell the Mayor how she still does _love_ her. She brought her daughter back to her (albeit, being the one who took her in the first place) and she is the one who raised her grandson to live a great life. They had such a complex, complicated history, full of despair, anguish and the struggle for power but Snow would be damned if there was not a moment in which she did not love Regina through it. Whether the damaged dark haired beauty knew about it or not.

"I'm sorry. I just thought… I just…"

"You just thought what everyone else in this damn town thinks- that I'm still the Evil Queen and I get off at manipulating and ruining your lives! But I didn't do this! I did not cast this curse, I did not bring us back to Storybrooke, I did not erase your memories and I surely did not get you pregnant, dearest. I don't know _who_ or _what_ this is but I assure you, I have had no part in it. I understand that everyone is used to me being the villain but I'm not the villain anymore. At least, not in this story," Regina replies, a wave of hurt echoing within her dark brown eyes. Smiling softly, Snow reaches forward, her fingers gently grazing against the Mayor's as she squeezes her hand in reassurance.

"You're not a bad person, Regina. It's time that you stop thinking of yourself as one and start thinking of yourself as one of us: the good guys. Now, how do we fix this mess? How do we get our memories back, because I for one would like to know how in the hell this happened," Snow gestures to her pregnant self and Regina only snorts with a hard roll of her eyes, her long fingers grazing against the coffee mug longingly.

"Well, if you do not understand the basic concepts of biology, Snow, there is simply nothing I can help you with. Pity your mother and father did not teach you about the birds and the bees when they had the chance," Regina snips sarcastically, "as for the rest of it? I don't know. I don't know how to fix this, or if we even _can_ even fix this."

"But there has to be a reason we are back in Storybrooke. There's some kind of curse going on here… some kind of magic. I just need to know what it is. There has to…"

"Look, _Snow_," Regina snaps, her voice is oozing with hostility, "I am not a human dictionary of all the evil in the worlds. I don't know what happened, or is still _happening_. I do not know who cast this spell nor do I know how to make it any better. I do not know anything, just like you do not. This magic is… this magic is stronger than anything I could ever conjure. It is bigger than me. So, I guess all that we really can do is sit here and wait. Wait to live or wait to die." She mutters depressingly, lifting her mug as she takes another long swig of the caffeinated drink. Shaking her head with a disgruntled groan, Snow arches her eyebrows in confusion as one hand lowers onto her stomach protectively, the other pinches the bridge of her nose.

"What about Emma?" asks Snow. At the sound of the familiar name, Regina's head snaps up and for a moment, a very _brief_ moment might the princess add, did she see a new shade of life and color fill within those dark brown eyes. Then, as quick as it came, it goes fleetingly when she looks down to study her hands.

"Emma is not coming back this time," Regina replies heavily.

"But we are in trouble. Every time that we are in trouble, Emma magically rides in and saves the day. She's like her father in that aspect. She was born to stop the curse that you cast. She is going to come back to save us from this one too. She is the savior, after all," Emma informs the beauty that sits across from her. At this, a painful smirk appears on the Mayor's face before she shakes her head, looking up at her stepdaughter with heavy, pain filled eyes.

"I erased Emma and Henry's memories. They have no recollection of Storybrooke, of you, or of me. It is as if we never existed to them in the first place. _This_ never existed. Emma never gave Henry up for adoption and she did not suffer through a world of not knowing her parents. I gave them the best life possible. They have no reason for coming back to Storybrooke; we are nothing to them. So, you should not be sitting here, waiting with your baited breath for Emma Swan to glide through that door, flash her pretty little smile and say in her overly confident voice that shit about bringing the happily ever afters back. My son is never coming back. It is about time that you accept your daughter is not either," Regina explains, pushing her palm downside on the table, using it to leverage herself up. She is about to walk away from the princess who is fighting the tears within her own eyes, when she feels slender fingers around her wrist.

Turning around, she finds herself standing face-to-face with her stepdaughter, a mirrored reflection of the life that her mother so desperately wanted her to have. She _hated_ Snow for everything that happened, but on some level deep down, and Regina means so deep that the human race could never reach it, she knows that she cares for the poor girl.

At least, _now_ she does.

"I know that you cast your spell and erased Emma and Henry's memories because you had to let go of the thing that you love the most. And you probably think that is Henry- and maybe it is. But you are forgetting one thing, Regina," At this Regina shrugs her shoulders, squinting her eyes as she encourages the petite woman to continue.

"Emma is the product of true love. She is the chosen one. She is the perfect fairytale definition of what unconditional love is; without rhyme, without reason, without knowing _where_ or _when_ or _why_. And you should know by now that true love conquers everything, even the darkest curses. You are the moon and Emma is the sun. You are dark and she is bright. You both parallel each other, but you cannot exist without one another. You should remember that true love will always lead you home in the end," Snow explains, a gentle knowing smile playing upon her lips.

"Are you implying that Emma's true love is in Storybrooke? Because I have not seen Neal around. I am not even sure if the curse truly affected him," Regina retorts. Shrugging softly, Snow gently pulls her hand away from her stepmother, leaning to walk away from her but she stops, just for a moment, as she turns back to her.

"I am _saying_ that Emma's true love is a lot closer than any of us may realize. And it may not be in the form that we have all been thinking it was. True love will always win. Emma will come back for you. You just wait. She is the Savior. She is going to bring the happy endings back to Storybrooke and she is going to help you write yours," Snow smiles before she walks away to mingle with some people that rightly makes Regina's stomach churn at the sight of them.

Sighing softly, Regina cannot help but shake her head as the tears burn within her eyes. She watches as Snow talks to Charming, who seems extremely uninterested in whatever she is saying, but is still dotting to her every request. Even when she is boring him shitless, they are still ever so _charming_. Biting her bottom lip to keep the cry from escaping within the back of her throat, Regina is terribly reminded that this will never be her life. She erased herself from Emma's memory, and from Henry's; the two people that she loved the most in the world have no idea that she exists; the two people that she would have lived for no longer know that she is even _alive_.

No one is coming for her.

And that is something that Regina has painfully learned to accept.

* * *

><p>Emma Swan sits at her desk at the New York Department of Corrections, hot cocoa with cinnamon on one side, a chocolate doughnut on the other, and a sea of paperwork scattered in front of her that just does not seem to make sense anymore. In fact, she is pretty sure that if she stares at one more piece of legal bullshit, her eyes really may just start bleeding in the equivalent of the Niagara Falls.<p>

This morning had been like any other morning, really. Henry had gotten up much too early for school, read the morning paper as she made his pancakes and eggs, _with_ a touch of cinnamon, of course. Reagan had been her normal fussy self, as in, nothing Emma did or offered her was not anything remotely close to being good enough. And in her morning haste, everything Emma tried to do went horribly and terribly wrong. Yet, in the midst of all it, she could not shake the annoying vibrations that echoed within her ear.

She knows that she must sound crazy; and maybe that's just it. Maybe after all of her years of bounty hunting, playing the life of a single mother, trying to maintain some kind of friendship with people, and running on very little to no sleep has drove her insane. That happens to people, right? People go crazy and hallucinate things, especially when they are running on exhaustion fumes. She has read stories about it; stories about women going into a manic state after they have a baby, maybe that is what this is. Because losing her damn mind is the only logical explanation that Emma has for _any_ of this.

Sighing in frustration, the petite blonde leans forward, hunching over her desk as she pinches the bridge of her nose. Her head is beating with the rhythm of her own heart; something that she knows is _anything_ but a good sign. Her world is painted with a dark curvature in her peripheral vision, and the back of her neck is clammy as it feels like the world is racing around her. Sucking in a very unevened breath, Emma's eyes flutter closed as the painted shadows and swirls once fill behind her eyelids. It is like watching a movie in fast forward, but the film is slightly broken, so all that you are seeing is static and disproportionate shadows. The voices all jumble together; voices that are full of panic, despair, laughter, anger, but there is one voice that is distinct above all the others. A raspy, hoarse voice that somehow breaks through the barriers of all the other _fuzz_ that manages to fill behind Emma's eyelids.

_**Miss Swan**_.

"_Who are you? What do you want from me?"_ Emma bemuses inwardly, clenching her jaw tightly as the world spins faster and _faster_ around her. Digging her nails into the side of her desk, her eyes are closed so tightly that she cannot see how white her knuckles are turning. Her stomach is churning and the sweat is dripping down the back of her neck. _Faster, faster, faster_, like a merry-go-round, the shadows whizz past her before she has the chance to make a guess at what any of them are.

_**Miss Swan.**_

God, she's going to be _sick_, she mutters as the bile rises in her throat. She can see in a distance a shadow of the curves of a woman approaching her in the midst of all the lights. Her heart is hammering in her chest so hard that she fears it might burst straight out of her tank top and onto the floor. How in the _hell_ is this happening right now? Even on the nights that she had been so fucked up that she could not remember her own name, she never experienced anything like this. There is a flutter in her heart; a glimpse of a smile behind her eyelids. Her lungs, well she is not sure what they end up doing but they completely forget how to work as the bile rises higher in her throat; there is a grasp of curling fingers upon her shoulder, squeezing roughly. Her mouth is dry as her eyes fervently dart from behind her closed eyelids, searching desperately for something besides the dark shadows.

_**Miss Swan**_.

"Who in the hell are you?!" Emma snaps aloud, slamming her hands against the mahogany desk at which sits. The dramatic movement causes her cinnamon cocoa to spiral into the floor, spilling the hot contents everywhere. A grumbling curse causes Emma's eyes to flutter open quickly as her head snaps up to find a man in a very nice suit looming over her.

"Is that any way to greet your boss, Miss Swan?" The man calls out to her, pulling a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit. The lines that are etched on his scruffy face lets Emma know exactly how much _shit_ she truly is in.

"Mr. Davis, I am so sorry. I didn't know you were standing there. It's been such a shit morning and everything is going wrong and I-I-I… I'm just so sorry!" Emma begs, taking her own napkin as she attempts to rub the cocoa out of his very expensive jacket, but she is only making it worse. Groaning in frustration, he takes her petite wrist in his hand and removes it from his suit, glaring at her through squinted eyes, "please do not fire me." Her voice is tiny now, almost childlike, and she cannot help but be reminded of Henry when he finds himself in trouble. However, she is sure that no matter how many times she bats her eyelashes, or pouts, or pleads, she cannot get herself out of this.

"My, aren't we awfully petty this morning? I am not going to fire you, Miss Swan. At least, not over something so irrelevant as spilling your cocoa." Mr. Davis huffs, returning the wrist to it's rightful owner before he pulls out a folder from his brief case, "I certainly would not fire you when you are the only one who can do this job." He states, handing her the files with an attempted smile upon his scruffy face. Looking at him in confusion, the petite blonde takes the files within her hand before she sits back down at her desk.

"What is this?"

"It is not a secret, Miss Swan, that you are the very best at what you do. In all of my years, I have never experienced so much success out of someone before. You put all of your blood, sweat, tears, and heart into your job and I absolutely love that about you. It is why when this case mysteriously came across my desk, I knew that you were the best candidate for it." Mr. Davis explains, watching as Emma flips through the papers that are sitting before her.

"This is an extended assignment," Emma points out, stopping short as she looks up at her boss. Mr. Davis only nods his head as he pulls out the chair that sits directly across from Emma's; his long fingers lace around one another as he lets out a heavy sigh, "you know that I can't do extended assignments. I have Henry a-and Reagan. I would be gone for _months_. He has school and I would miss so much of her life. She is about to hit those big milestones and I don't want to miss out on my kid's life. I-I can't do this. I mean, this is crazy, right?"

"Take them with you," Mr. Davis explains so simply that Emma must have been crazy not think of it herself. Snorting out a forced laugh, Emma runs her fingers through her messy blonde hair as she leans back in her leather chair.

"I know that you are not seriously suggesting that I take my children _bounty hunting_ with me, Mr. Davis. Now, I don't know you personally so I don't know if you have children or not, but the whole notion of uprooting my children, dragging them halfway across the world as their Mommy chases down a _dangerous_, might I add, bad guy is pretty ridiculous." Emma exclaims, thumbing through the files that are in front of her. Mr. Davis lets out another heavy sigh, tapping his fingers against Emma's desk before he finds a voice somewhere deep within him.

"You would be gone for a while. I know that you don't want to do this and if there was anybody else that I could ask, I would have already done it. But you are the best one that we have, Emma. And this guy… this guy, he is really tricky and the reward that is being offered for him? It could really save this department. And this would give you the recognition that you deserve. I already did some research of the town; there is a great school there in which your son can attend. Cases like this, Emma, they don't come around every day. Do you really want to be that person who passed on catching Jesse James?" Davis probes. Emma squints her eyebrows as she studies her boss, her shoulders rigid and a breath trapped somewhere within her chest.

"But this is not Jesse James. This is some jackass who gets off on taking things that do not belong to him. A modern day Robin Hood, I guess," Emma muses, taking a bite of her chocolate doughnut. Smirking playfully, Davis reaches forward as he clasps his hand over Emma's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes. A modern day Robin Hood. And every story needs a _Charming_ to ride in and save the day, right?" winks Davis.

"Are you calling me a _Charming?_" snorts Emma, crumbs of doughnut sticking to her face. Using the back of her brown leather jacket sleeve, she wipes them from her mouth, watching the twinkle that appears in Davis' eyes.

"In this case? Yes. Because Charming always manages to save the day. Now, the story of Robin Hood actually turns out really well for the little guy, but in this case, Charming is going to save the day. You are going to capture this guy and find out exactly who is working for and you are going to bring him back to me. This department is going to flourish with the reward that is being offered for him. And you're going to be the hero. Everybody wins here." Davis explains, his face lighting up in excitement and Emma cannot help but snicker. She has been called a lot of things in her lifetime, but _Charming_ surely had never been one of them.

"Except for Robin Hood." Emma points out, closing the file. Davis only shrugs as he stands from the chair, neatly tucking the handkerchief back within his suit pocket. His eyes study Emma for a moment and she thinks he is going to say something entirely different, but rather, he remains quiet. Instead he only smiles as his employee, shoving his hand deep within the pocket of his suit.

"Yes, except for poor old Robin Hood. But let's be honest, who really cares about him anyway? Nobody likes a vigilante. Everybody knows that Charming was always going to ride in, save the day, and get the girl. Good always wins, Emma." winks Davis, his hand gently squeezing the back of her shoulder, and with his parting advice, he disappears around the corner of their building.

Sighing as she slouches back against her leather chair, Emma flips through the file of the middle aged man who has been stealing from everyone and everything in his town and the towns that are nearby. He is also responsible for several carjackings, she denotes as she turns the page. However, he does not exactly fit the description of the average people who are arrested for this type of crime. He looks every bit like a normal thirty year old father with a promise of hope in his eyes. He looks like a good guy who just made a few bad choices that landed him at this point in his life. They all had just been lost, wandering souls who found themselves on the wrong side of the tracks with nobody there to save them. For this, Emma is thankful that her parents had been there to give her direction and save her from going down a very similar path.

Her emerald eyes glance over at the photo of Henry and Reagan sitting on her desk. Reagan is sitting in her brother's lap in a cute little red dress, that same duckie in her hand, and she has the biggest grin upon her face. Henry is looking down at his sister like she is the most perfect thing that has ever truly existed in the world. These two little monsters are her entire world; Emma exhales heavily as her thumb gently traces the shape of the frame. She had always promised that she would give them the very best life possible; promised that they would want for nothing and would have the happiest story that would ever be told. From the moment they were both placed within her arms, she promised that she would dry every tear, be the cause for every smile, and that she would never hurt them. These two little monsters had taught her how to love again when her heart had been so damaged that she found it nearly impossible.

Emma always wanted to be her children's hero, because they had _saved_ her_._

Suddenly, knowing exactly what she had to do, Emma quickly shuts the file in front of her and reaches for the phone that is nestled somewhere within her leather jacket. Staring at the photo before her, Emma quickly dials the familiar seven numbers and a heart warming voice quickly fills her ear.

"Hey Mom. I'm fine and Reagan is napping. What's up?" It's Henry who answers the important questions with what sounds like a cheeky grin upon his face. Laughing at her son's eagerness, Emma stuffs the file within the bag that sits by her desk.

"Pack your bags, kid. We're going on an adventure." replies Emma.

"What's the destination?" pipes Henry, an excitement within his voice. It is the sound of his eagerness that reminds Emma that she is doing the _right_ thing. It may be inconvenient; it may be uprooting her family for an unknown amount of time, but, for some rhyme or reason, nothing has ever made more sense in her entire life than chasing this endless map to a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe not only would she find her modern day Robin Hood there; but perhaps, Emma Swan would find other answers that she did not even know she was searching for.

"Storybrooke, Maine."


End file.
